Fruit-drier.



No. 690,834. f Patented 1an. 7, |902.

W.l A. GATES.` FRUIT omen'.

.Application med sape. 2'7, 1901.;

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

mu, H, E6 A .0 am W 18mm .a ...W M\ TNRN III Mv v n. 690,834.' lPatent-ed 1an. 7, .1992.

W. A. GATES.

FRUIT DRIER.

implication med sept'. 27. 1901.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

' WITNESSES: aM/4;...

aoI

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

IVILLIAMA. GATES, OF FISHER, WASHINGTON.

FRUIT-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 690,834, dated January7, 1902.

Application tiled September Z7, 1901. Serial No. 76,778. (No model.)

other substance into the drier to its removal therefrom and wherein thedischarge of the currents of hot air into the drying-chamber proper maybe easily regulated at will.

The invention involves novel features ofA construction, arrangement, andoperation, as'

hereinafter set forth, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure ,1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the entireapparatus-. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is an irregular horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. I`ig.r4is a front view of the draft, the doors being removed. Fig. 5 isan irregular vertical section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Y

Referring in the irst instance particularly to Figs. 'l and 4, Aindicates the base portion or furnace proper, and B the top portion ordrier proper. The walls of the base portion A are preferably constructedof brick,and the top portion B is preferably constructed of lightmaterial-say wood or'sheet metal. A fire-box C is located exterior tothe front wall of the drier, and the products of combustion therefromenter a pipe 1, whence they .pass through drums 2 2 and thence through aserpentine or coil pipe 3, (see Fig. 3,) which enters the base of thechimney 4. The drums 2 2 rest upon a horizontal partition 5, which issupported by a central longitudinal vertical partition 6. The pipe 3passes through a vertical wall or partition 7, with which the partitions'and 6 are connected. Thus a heating-chamberD (see Figs. 1 and 3) ispro,- duced, from which air heatedtherein may rise into thedrying-chamber B through an opening 8, located at the front end of thedrier proper. It will be seen that the vertical cross-partition 7divides the chamber D fromthe chamber E, which is traversed by orchannels 13.

the serpentine pipe 3. The air heatedin the chamber E passes through anopening 9 into the drying-chamber proper. The passage of heated-airopenings 8 and 9 may be regulated by means of sliding covers lO and 1l,respectively. Such covers, as shown in Figs, l and 4, have pendent sideflanges which rest upc-n ledges 12, supported upon the base A. Bysliding the covers 10 and 11 in one direction,- or the other it isobvious that the escape of heated air from chambers D and E into thedrier proper may be regulated as required. The heat from theside wallsof the fire-box C is utilized for heating air in two side passages (SeeFigs. 1 and 4.) The air heated therein passes through beneath thehorizontal partition 5 of the primary heatingchamber D into the rear orsupplemental heating-chamber E.- It will be understood that there aretwo such channels or passages] 3, one being located on each side of thefire-box C. Directly above these Vpassages 13 are located two shorterpassages or channels 14,-which serve to convey heated air into theprimary chamber D. Thus the products of combustion from the nre-box Cserve to heat the chambers D andE by passing through the pipes 1 and 3and drums 2 2, while by lateral radiation of heat the air in channels orpassages 13 and 14 is heated, with the result that it is conveyedinthatcondition into the chambers D and E, respectively. It will befurthernoted that the heat in chamber Dis necessarily greater than that in thechamber E,

and hence the drying elfect on the fruit or` other substance in thechamber B will be correspondingly greater at the end nearest the furnaceC.

They chamber B is divided longitudinally and centrally by a verticalpartition 15, (see Fig. 4,) thus forming two compartments. Each of theseis provided with side cleats or ledges 16, upon which are placed l trays17, carrying or containing the fruit or other substance to be dried. Thesaid cleats 16 are inclined downward from the rear end to the front endof the drying-chamber B, as shown in Fig. 1, whereby the passage of the.trays through the chamber is facilitated. In other words, the trays 17being inserted at the rear end of the chamber B, may be easily pushedalong and finally delivered at the front end.

ICO

During such passage the fruit is subjected to the drying action of airheated to a certain proper degree, and as the trays progress through thechamber the fruit is subjected to a gradually-increased heat, the latterreaching its maximum just previous to the removal of the fruit at thefront end of the drier. Doors 18 are provided at the ends of thechamber, as shown. It is preferred and even requisite for the besteffect that the trays shall be formed of wires or some reticulatedmaterial, so that air may have free passage through them, and thus comein contact with the fruit. The air may escape at the opening 19, (seeFig. 1,) which is provided at the highest part of the drying-chamber B.It will be understood that the covers 10 and 11 perform not only thefunction hereinbefore stated of regulating the discharge of heated airfrom the chambers D and E, but also prevent undue radi/ation ofheat,whereby the fruit might be scorched. Near the lower front portion ot'the drying-chamber B boards 17 may be arranged to cut off and divert theascending current of heated air from the portion of the drying-chamberimmediately above said boards. By the described arrangement of parts Isecure a maximum effect from a given amount offuel consumed in thetire-box C and at the same time so apply the heat to the fruit that itis dried gradually without scorching.

It will be noted that the upper or Wooden part B of the apparatusextends so far beyond the rear end of the furnace portion A that thetemperature is thereby lowered at the back of the fruit-chamber.

In practice the height of the brickwork A is about nine feet, and thedrums 2 are placed far enough below the woodwork to avoid any danger ofignition of the latter.

Having thus described myinvention, what Iclaim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a drying apparatus, a base furnace portion, comprising a fire-boxand two alined chambers, a conductor for the products of combustionpassing through the two chambers, and side passages for conducting airarranged adjacent to the fire-box and extending into the outer chamber,substantially as shown and described.

2. In a drying apparatus, the base furnace portion comprising a lire-boxproper, two alined chambers separated by a cross-parti-V tion, asmoke-conductor leading from the firebox through the two chambers andtheir separating-partition, and side passages arranged adjacent to thefire-box and leading into the first chamber, the same serving forconducting heated air into the said chamber, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In a drying apparatus, the combination with the drier proper, of thebase furnace portion comprising a fire-box and two alined chambersseparated as specified, a conductor for the products of combustiontraversing the two chambers, air-pipes extending alongside the fire-boxand entering the outer chamber, and shorter passages arranged above thefirst and opening into the first chamber, whereby air is heated inpassing through both passages and enters the two chambers and thencepasses into the drier proper, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination with the drier proper, of the base furnace portion,separated therefrom by a horizontal partition having openings asspecified, and comprising a nre-box which is exterior to the drier, andtwo chambers alined with said fire-box, but arranged beneath the drierproper, passages for conducting the products of combustion and thepassages for entrance of heated air, substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. In a drier of the class specified, the base furnace portioncomprising a lire-box, and two alined chambers separated by acrosspartition, the chamber adjacent to the firebox having a transverseand vertical partition, and a heated-air conductor arranged on each sideof the vertical partition,and a smokeconductor arranged upon thehorizontal partition and extending through the outer chamber,substantially as shown and described.

WILLIAM A. GATES.

Vitnesses:

Y ARTHUR HAINE,

F. P. WAGNER.

